Background and Principles

Infrastructure development is crucial for transportation. Connecting countries in the sub-region was one of the initial ideas of the GMS project in 1992. GMS countries cooperate in trade, tourism, and investment through the development of “economic corridors,” including the North-South Economic Corridor (NSEC), East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC), and Southern Economic Corridor (SEC). This includes projects related to infrastructure, laws and regulations, market development, and urban improvement.

Furthermore, the GMS 2030 Strategic Framework prioritizes transportation approaches, cross-border transport facilitation, and logistics improvements. GMS 2030 aims to develop railway networks, sea and river routes, inland ports, airport investments, and secondary road development that will connect to main roads.

Economic Corridors of the GMS Program

Consists of 3 major economic corridors:

North-South Economic Corridor (NSEC) is the main route connecting southern China and Lao PDR to the sea, with 3 main subcorridors as follows:

Western Subcorridor

Kunming (China) – Boten (Laos)/Tachilek (Myanmar) – Chiang Rai (Thailand) – Bangkok (Thailand)

Central Subcorridor

Kunming (China) – Hanoi (Vietnam) – Haiphong (Vietnam)

Eastern Subcorridor

Nanning (China) – Hanoi (Vietnam)

East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) is a route connecting major economic cities between Myanmar, Thailand, Lao PDR, and Vietnam, covering a total distance of 1,500 kilometers across important areas in 4 countries as follows:

Mawlamyine – Myawaddy

Mae Sot – Phitsanulok – Khon Kaen – Kalasin – Mukdahan

Savannakhet – Dansavanh

Lao Bao – Dong Ha – Da Nang

Southern Economic Corridor (SEC) is a route connecting major economic cities between Thailand – Cambodia – Vietnam, including Myanmar and Vietnam – Cambodia and Laos, with 4 subcorridors:

Central Subcorridor

Bangkok (Thailand) – Phnom Penh (Cambodia) – Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) – Vung Tau (Vietnam)

Northern Subcorridor

Bangkok (Thailand) – Siem Reap (Cambodia) – Stung Treng (Cambodia) – Ratanakiri (Cambodia) – O Ya Dav (Cambodia) – Pleiku (Vietnam) – Quy Nhon (Vietnam)

Southern Coastal Subcorridor

Bangkok (Thailand) – Trat (Thailand) – Koh Kong (Cambodia) – Ratanakiri (Cambodia) – Kampot (Cambodia) – Ha Tien (Vietnam) – Ca Mau (Vietnam) – Nam Can (Vietnam)

Intercorridor Link

Sihanoukville (Cambodia) – Phnom Penh (Cambodia) – Kratie (Cambodia) – Stung Treng (Cambodia) – Dong Kralor (Laos) – Pakse (Laos) – Savannakhet (Laos), which intersects with EWEC

Source: https://greatermekong.org/g/economic-corridors-greater-mekong-subregion

Recent Progress

The Transport Working Group continues to prioritize infrastructure development alongside improving laws and regulations to connect GMS member countries in transportation. In 2023, significant progress was made in rail system development through technical assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on the topic of Greater Mekong Subregion Railway Connectivity (Phase 2), which was completed in April 2023. This supports the organizational restructuring of the Greater Mekong Railway Association and the preparation of operational readiness plans to ensure appropriate standards for safety technology, productivity, and environmental quality of railway operations. Additionally, there are ongoing negotiations for a framework agreement on cross-border rail transport connectivity and the improvement of the GMS cross-border rail network strategy.

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